User navigation of video content historically has involved a user of a remote-control device “channel surfing” by sequentially advancing through available channels on a television set or a set-top box. However, as video content service providers (e.g., cable or satellite television companies) provide more content to subscribers by adding additional channels, users experience substantially more difficulty in attempting to locate preferred video content by channel surfing. In addition, proliferation of media content via wide area networks such as the Internet is inaccessible using conventional channel surfing techniques of sequentially advancing through a set of available channels. Video guides offered by content service providers via user set-top boxes also limit navigation by channel identifier, title, and/or time and date that the content is presented.
Users of personal computers can search for videos using different websites that offer videos on the World Wide Web (e.g., “netflix.com”, “youtube.com”). In addition, various websites (e.g., “titan.tv”) provide an online guide of television listings and channels offered by a given video service provider. Tivo allows users to perform a search for an actor, director, keyword, title, or category.